Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Kaitlin A. Naughten, Paul R. Holland, Pierre Dutrieux, Satoshi Kimura, David T. Bett, Adrian Jenkins
Summary: This study suggests that the Amundsen Sea experienced more sustained cool periods in the early twentieth century, but warming has caused an increase in ice shelf melting. The warming is likely driven by anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions, and future changes in emissions are also likely to affect the region.
GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Youngju Lee, Jisoo Park, Jinyoung Jung, Tae Wan Kim
Summary: The thinning and retreating of ice shelves in the Antarctic coast have been accelerated by global warming. Basal melt water influences marine life, particularly phytoplankton, which is directly affected by changes in physicochemical environments. Limited in situ data over large areas in the Amundsen Sea, a hotspot for rapidly thinning ice shelves in West Antarctica, hinder our understanding. In a 2020 summer cruise, phytoplankton species abundance was investigated along the Amundsen Sea coast, revealing unexpected blooms of diatom Dactyliosolen tenuijunctus in the Pine Island Bay region.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2022)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
P. Milillo, E. Rignot, P. Rizzoli, B. Scheuchl, J. Mouginot, J. L. Bueso-Bello, P. Prats-Iraola, L. Dini
Summary: Grounding-line observations from satellite radar interferometry show that the Pope, Smith, and Kohler glaciers in West Antarctica have experienced rapid retreat rates in recent years, faster than anticipated. The retreat is likely caused by unrepresented ice-ocean interactions within newly formed cavities at the ice-ocean boundary.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
M. Mar Flexas, Andrew F. Thompson, Michael P. Schodlok, Hong Zhang, Kevin Speer
Summary: The observed acceleration of ice shelf basal melt rates throughout West Antarctica could destabilize continental ice sheets and markedly increase global sea level. Explanations for decadal-scale melt intensification have focused on processes local to shelf seas surrounding the ice shelves. A suite of process-based model experiments, guided by CMIP6 forcing scenarios, show that freshwater forcing from the Antarctic Peninsula, propagated between marginal seas by a coastal boundary current, causes enhanced melting throughout West Antarctica.
Article
Microbiology
Meiaoxue Han, Guangfu Luo, Jianfeng He, Yantao Liang, Xuechao Chen, Gang Liu, Yue Su, Fuyue Ge, Hao Yu, Jun Zhao, Qiang Hao, Hongbing Shao, Yeong Yik Sung, Wen Jye Mok, Li Lian Wong, Andrew McMinn, Min Wang
Summary: This study reports on the distribution of virioplankton and picoplankton in the Amundsen Sea of West Antarctica and their relationships with environmental factors. The upwelling of Circumpolar Deep Water (CDW) and the timing of ice-edge blooms were found to be the main factors controlling their distribution.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Oceanography
Tae-Wan Kim, Hee Won Yang, Pierre Dutrieux, Anna K. Wahlin, Adrian Jenkins, Yeong Gi Kim, Ho Kyung Ha, Chang-Sin Kim, Kyoung-Ho Cho, Taewook Park, Jisoo Park, SangHoon Lee, Yang-Ki Cho
Summary: The study found that the volume of modified Circumpolar Deep Water (mCDW) showed relatively weak interannual variations at the continental shelf break, but intensified southward and reached a maximum in front of the Dotson Ice Shelf (DIS). The interannual variability in mCDW volume was found to be coherent with local Ekman pumping along the Dotson-Getz Trough (DGT), modulated by the presence of sea ice and shelf break winds.
JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-OCEANS
(2021)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Hyun-Ju Lee, Emilia Kyung Jin
Summary: In this study, the formation process and mechanism of the El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO)-driven teleconnection in West Antarctica are investigated. It is found that the delay in the ENSO effect on West Antarctica is due to the strongest Amundsen Sea Low (ASL) anomaly occurring in May. The configuration of the basic state is crucial for the teleconnection to reach West Antarctica in response to the ENSO.
FRONTIERS IN EARTH SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Geography, Physical
Stefan Kowalewski, Veit Helm, Elizabeth Mary Morris, Olaf Eisen
Summary: Recent surface mass balance (SMB) estimates at Pine Island Glacier in West Antarctica were derived from airborne radar observations and ground-based neutron probe measurements. Regional-scale SMB distribution showed similar main characteristics to previous studies, with some local departures. Total mass inputs to the glacier basin did not show significant changes, but the estimated uncertainty was higher than in previous estimates for total mass input, indicating sensitivity to methodology and assumptions.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Tyler R. Jones, Kurt M. Cuffey, William H. G. Roberts, Bradley R. Markle, Eric J. Steig, C. Max Stevens, Paul J. Valdes, T. J. Fudge, Michael Sigl, Abigail G. Hughes, Valerie Morris, Bruce H. Vaughn, Joshua Garland, Bo M. Vinther, Kevin S. Rozmiarek, Chloe A. Brashear, James W. C. White
Summary: By analyzing water-isotope ratios in the West Antarctic Ice Sheet Divide ice core, researchers have revealed the changes in summer and winter temperatures over the past 11,000 years. The results show that summer temperature variations are primarily related to summer insolation, while winter temperatures are influenced by meridional heat transport. The study also provides evidence for the reduction in ice sheet surface area in West Antarctica, supporting geological constraints in the region.
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Elena Savidge, Tasha Snow, Matthew R. Siegfried
Summary: In this study, a multi-decadal record of polynya area at Pine Island Glacier (PIG) was generated using satellite imagery. The results showed significant interannual variability in polynya area, with the largest polynya occurring at the western edge of PIG just before a large iceberg calved. This suggests that polynya size and position may influence iceberg calving.
GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Frazer D. W. Christie, Eric J. Steig, Noel Gourmelen, Simon F. B. Tett, Robert G. Bingham
Summary: West Antarctica has experienced significant ice losses, especially from Pine Island and Thwaites glaciers, leading to global sea-level rise. However, limited observations have made it difficult to accurately predict future ice loss rates. This study reveals that the pace and extent of glacier retreat vary by location and are influenced by atmospheric and oceanic variations.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Kaitlin A. Naughten, Paul R. Holland, Jan De Rydt
Summary: Ocean-driven melting of floating ice-shelves in the Amundsen Sea is the main process controlling Antarctica's contribution to sea-level rise. Rapid ocean warming, at approximately triple the historical rate, is likely to continue throughout the 21st century, leading to increased ice-shelf melting and potential collapse of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet, despite efforts to mitigate greenhouse gases.
NATURE CLIMATE CHANGE
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Ricarda Dziadek, Fausto Ferraccioli, Karsten Gohl
Summary: The Amundsen Sea sector of Antarctica has shallow Curie depths, indicating high geothermal heat flow. By analyzing geophysical data, variations in lithospheric thermal gradients were revealed, showing that areas under rapidly retreating glaciers have elevated geothermal heat flow due to the tectonic and magmatic history of the region. This suggests that the behavior of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet in this vulnerable sector is closely linked to the dynamics of the underlying lithosphere.
COMMUNICATIONS EARTH & ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Ruth Moorman, Andrew F. Thompson, Earle A. Wilson
Summary: The melt rates of West Antarctic ice shelves in the Amundsen Sea are influenced by decadal variations in the volume of warm water at their outlets, which are generally attributed to wind-driven variations in warm water transport. However, this study introduces a simple model that suggests interannual variations in coastal polynya buoyancy forcing can also generate large decadal-scale variations in thermocline depth, even with a fixed supply of warm water from the shelf-break. This model demonstrates feedbacks between basal melt rates and ice front stratification strength, capturing observed variations in near-coast thermocline depth and stratification strength, and proposing an alternative mechanism for warm water volume changes compared to wind-driven theories.
GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Avinash Kumar, Juhi Yadav, Rahul Mohan
Summary: The Weddell Sea is experiencing changes in sea-ice extent due to ongoing climate change, with significant increases in the austral summer but decreases in the spring over the last four decades. Variability in seasonal sea-ice concentration is linked to thermal differences and westerlies intensification, affecting the Weddell Gyre. The study highlights the relationship between sea-ice variability and ocean-atmospheric forcings, emphasizing the need for continuous monitoring.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2021)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Navjit Sagoo, Trude Storelvmo, Lily Hahn, Ivy Tan, James Danco, Bryan Raney, Anthony J. Broccoli
Summary: This study found that constraining cloud phase can weaken the negative high-latitude cloud phase feedback and reveal positive water vapor and cloud feedback effects, extending the cooling effect to lower latitudes. These cloud and water vapor feedbacks are key mechanisms amplifying orbital climate forcing.
GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2021)
Correction
Environmental Sciences
Kyle R. Clem, Ryan L. Fogt, John Turner, Benjamin R. Lintner, Gareth J. Marshall, James R. Miller, James A. Renwick
NATURE CLIMATE CHANGE
(2021)
Article
Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences
S. Stammerjohn, T. Scambos
BULLETIN OF THE AMERICAN METEOROLOGICAL SOCIETY
(2021)
Article
Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences
Rene D. Garreaud, Kyle Clem, Jose Vicencio Veloso
Summary: Over the past four decades, changes in sea level pressure in Antarctica have impacted the climate of the South Pacific region. Research suggests that warming in the upper ocean of the subtropical southwest Pacific is a key factor contributing to the pressure trend dipole, influencing the central Chile megadrought.
JOURNAL OF CLIMATE
(2021)
Editorial Material
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Samantha Bova, Yair Rosenthal, Zhengyu Liu, Mi Yan, Anthony J. Broccoli, Shital P. Godad, Cheng Zeng
Article
Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences
Gareth J. Marshall, Ryan L. Fogt, John Turner, Kyle R. Clem
Summary: The study demonstrates that ERA5 best reproduces Antarctic near-surface air temperatures in the early period and is also the most homogeneous reanalysis across the early and late periods, indicating a significant change in the relationship between Southern Annular Mode (SAM) and Antarctic near-surface air temperatures between the two periods.
Letter
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Samantha Bova, Yair Rosenthal, Zhengyu Liu, Mi Yan, Anthony J. Broccoli, Shital P. Godad, Cheng Zeng, Weipeng Zheng
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Kyle R. Clem, Deniz Bozkurt, Daemon Kennett, John C. King, John Turner
Summary: Extreme summertime surface melt and record-high temperature events on the eastern Antarctic Peninsula and Larsen C Ice Shelf are triggered by deep convection in the central tropical Pacific, which transports warm and moist air to the area, causing strong foehn warming and surface melt. Variability in central tropical Pacific convection is a key driver of surface mass balance and extreme high temperatures in the area.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
John C. H. Chiang, Alyssa R. Atwood, Daniel J. Vimont, Paul A. Nicknish, William H. G. Roberts, Clay R. Tabor, Anthony J. Broccoli
Summary: The annual cycle of sea surface temperature in the Pacific cold tongue is not only driven by Earth's axial tilt (tilt effect) but also by the variation in Earth-Sun distance caused by orbital eccentricity (distance effect). These two effects lead to a complex evolution of the net seasonality over time. This finding calls for a reassessment of our understanding of the annual cycle of the Pacific cold tongue.
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Min Xu, Qinghua Yang, Kyle R. R. Clem, Lejiang Yu, Xiaoming Hu
Summary: The seasonal and spatial patterns of extreme warm occurrence in Antarctica have been investigated. Significant positive trends in extreme warm days are observed in the inland areas of Antarctica during austral spring and summer. The trends in daily maximum temperature also exhibit coherence with the trends in extreme warm occurrences. Moreover, long-term changes in longwave radiation, water vapor flux, and regional atmospheric circulation are closely linked to the trends of extreme warm days in all seasons except summer, indicating the influence of other processes on extreme warm days in summer.
GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Peiyi Lin, Rui Zhong, Qinghua Yang, Kyle R. Clem, Dake Chen
Summary: In October 2022, the strongest extratropical cyclone in the satellite era developed in the South Pacific Ocean with a sea level pressure of 900 hPa. Through analysis of ERA5 reanalysis data, the study investigated its development mechanisms and long-term changes in extreme cyclone occurrences over the Southern Ocean. The findings suggest that the cyclone formed within a low-pressure anomaly and its explosive development was initiated by upper-level dynamic forcing and driven by low-level latent heat release.
GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2023)
Correction
Environmental Sciences
Kyle R. Clem, Ryan L. Fogt, John Turner, Benjamin R. Lintner, Gareth J. Marshall, James R. Miller, James A. Renwick
NATURE CLIMATE CHANGE
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Leroy J. Bird, Gregory E. Bodeker, Kyle R. Clem
Summary: This study presents an approach using a convolutional neural network model to assess the relationship between extreme precipitation and climate. By training the model, sensitivity maps of extreme precipitation to climate change can be obtained, showing spatial variability.
COMMUNICATIONS EARTH & ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences
Irina V. Gorodetskaya, Claudio Duran-Alarcon, Sergi Gonzalez-Herrero, Kyle R. Clem, Xun Zou, Penny Rowe, Paola Rodriguez Imazio, Diego Campos, Christophe Leroy-Dos Santos, Niels Dutrievoz, Jonathan D. Wille, Anastasiia Chyhareva, Vincent Favier, Juliette Blanchet, Benjamin Pohl, Raul R. Cordero, Sang-Jong Park, Steve Colwell, Matthew A. Lazzara, Jorge Carrasco, Adriana Maria Gulisano, Svitlana Krakovska, F. Martin Ralph, Thomas Dethinne, Ghislain Picard
Summary: In February 2022, the Antarctic Peninsula experienced an extreme warm event, resulting in record-high surface melt. This event was triggered by multiple atmospheric circulation patterns linked to global warming, and it may have significant impacts on the stability of the Antarctic Peninsula's ice shelves and sensitive ecosystems.
NPJ CLIMATE AND ATMOSPHERIC SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences
K. R. Clem, M. N. Raphael
BULLETIN OF THE AMERICAN METEOROLOGICAL SOCIETY
(2022)